Just a Hufflepuff Girl's Story
by Soapicus
Summary: Set during PoA, a short story about a Hufflepuff 6th year whose best friend finds himself in danger.
1. Breakfast

Natalie looked up from her breakfast of kippers and buttered bread and caught Charlie's eye over the flagon of pumpkin juice. She smiled at him and he smiled back. She felt the accustomed swoop of her stomach in reply but she tried to ignore it.

Sometimes it can be hard when you're in love with your best friend.

"What?" Natalie asked through a mouthful of bread and butter.

"Classy." Charlie said sarcastically. Natalie wrinkled her nose at him, unrepentant, and chewed her food as she waited for him to get to the point. "If Sirius Black came in right now and started blowing the tables apart and all that sort of thing, what would you do?"

Natalie was so used to Charlie's random questions she didn't waste time asking why he wanted to know. She took a gulp of tea as she thought about it.

The coffee pot was in reach, she could probably throw it at him and scald him, that might put him off for a few seconds. Perhaps that would give her time to tell Charlie how she felt about him. She watched Charlie as she thought. He was currently scooping cereal into his mouth, his curly brown haired head bent over the bowl, obscuring his hazel eyes which seemed to have green sunbursts within them. His nearness thrilled her. She counted her blessings every moment he spent time with her, which these days wasn't as much time as she wanted to spend with him.

Natalie shook herself out of her useless revere. Anyway, if she threw the coffee pot at Sirius Black there was no doubt that he would merely kill her before everyone else. She was a Hufflepuff, _she _would not be the one doing the heroics, leave that to some Gryffindor or a glory hungry Slytherin.

"Probably hide under the table." Natalie finally replied, but Charlie wasn't listening any longer he was looking over at the Slytherin Table. Natalie sighed and turned to the girl on her right.

"Look Amy he's doing it again." Natalie said. Amy shook her head in despair

"Charlie, she's not going to notice you, just give up." Charlie turned back to the Hufflepuff table on hearing his name and he swelled himself up pompously in the way he normally used as an impression of the silly Gryffindor headboy in the year above.

"Shows what you know." Charlie said "Estelle's in my Ancient Runes class and we're translation partners, she's always telling me how much she appreciates my help." And with that Charlie went back to craning his neck in search of Estelle on the Slytherin table.

Natalie bit her lip in worry and exchanged concerned looks with Amy. Whilst Charlie mooned after Estelle in private it was fine, nobody got hurt, well maybe Natalie, but Charlie was quite happy dreaming up fanciful scenarios of their 'shared love'. But if Estelle _was _now taking an interest in Charlie it wouldn't only be Natalie she hurt.

Charlie thumped his hand on the table, just missing his goblet of pumpkin juice as his eyes remained fixed upon the Slytherin table, and said to nobody in particular "There she goes."

Indeed Natalie watched a waspishly thin girl rise gracefully out of her chair, still laughing with her fellow Slytherins. As she put her satchel on her shoulder she brushed back her syrupy blonde hair in one fluid motion. As she turned for the large doors which led to the entrance hall she saw Charlie smiling bemusedly at her and she gave him a wink from brown eyes Natalie could imagine boys drowning in. She puckered her lips at him before turned up her little delicate nose and flouncing out.

Natalie rubbed her own rather rounder nose and muttered about a pimple hex she'd recently learned. Amy surprisingly heard her and grunted in approval.

Charlie on the other hand was positively beaming, and Natalie couldn't help but smile back at him. "You saw that right? You saw. I'm not dreaming. Should I follow her? Do you think she'd want to come to Hogsmeade with us?" Charlie's face crumpled with confusion. Natalie and Amy looked at each other alarmed. They'd both been looking forward to the last Hogsmeade trip before the Christmas holidays as a day off to spend altogether(sorely needed after all the studying for their NEWTS), with all the rest of their Hufflepuff year mates coming as well it had looked like it was going to be a raucous outing (even if everyone was already bored of the snow which made walking tasking); but if they had to spend all day with Estelle who, all things considered, was a Psychopathic attention seeker, well, it wasn't an appealing prospect.

"I say go for it man, I mean if a girl winks it's got to mean something doesn't it? I'm so jelous of you man, I mean seriously-" and Sam on the other side of Amy whistled his appreciation of Estelle. Amy hit him hard on the shoulder and hissed at him,

"You idiot!" but the damage was already done. Charlie was looking up at the cloudy ceiling un-seeing and speaking to himself.

"Yeah, I should, I should go out there and ask her to come to Hogsmeade." Amy groaned. Natalie tried to look like she didn't mind too much, but it felt like her stomache was already in the dungeons and still dropping. Charlie looked straight at Natalie and blurted quickly, already trying to yank his bag out from under the table and tangling himself up in the process "You've got to come with me."

"What?" Cried Natalie, certain that was the last thing that she wanted to do.

"I can't do this on my own." Charlie looked so plaintively at her that all she could do was nod.

"Natalie?" Amy cried exasperated. Natalie shrugged,

"What's the guessing she'll say no anyway."


	2. Hogsmead

Estelle hadn't gone far. She was stood surrounded by a sizable group of students. She stood flicking her hair off her shoulder and as a younger, but very attractive, blonde Gryffindor boy who was trying to tell her a joke looked away, she rolled her eyes and giggled with a Ravenclaw girl beside her. Although when the boy looked back she was telling him to keep going and smiled at him winningly. She was clearly lapping up all the attention.

'How could Charlie not see that she was toxic?' Natalie wondered

Charlie faltered when he saw the large group of people clustered around Estelle, but to Natalie's surprise, and Charlie's delight, Estelle noticed Charlie and glided over to him. Natalie noticed a smirk curling Estelle's features.

"Charlie, it's so good to see you, it's been ages since our last ancient runes class, you said you'd help me with my homework and you never did!" she cried mock affronted. Estelle's group of admirers shifted uncomfortably. They had pointedly been ignored.

Charlie was looking down and started scuffing his shoes on the flagstone floor. Natalie closed her eyes and curled her toes in sympathetic embarrassment. She braced herself for what she knew was coming.

"Was wondering, if maybe, you know, you, eh, wanted to, eh, come to, eh, Hogsmeade with , eh, me." Charlie mumbled, almost out of Natalie's hearing

"Oh you know I'd love to, Charlie-" Charlie's head shot up as if he were a puppet and someone had pulled his strings, but Estelle was still talking "but there's something you need to do for me, to prove yourself worthy" Estelle's voice had fallen to a whisper and she seemed to savour every syllable she dripped into Charlie's offered ear. Even so Natalie noticed Estelle's eyes never left her posé of admirers who appeared to be glaring at Charlie with what amounted to jealousy.

Natalie was starting to feel uncomfortable herself. Charlie was completely engrossed in whatever it was Estelle was telling him and Natalie's stomach felt like she'd eaten out of date pumpkin pasties.

Luckily that was when Amy and Natalie's other friend Kelly walked out the Great Hall.

"You missed some post." Amy said thrusting a thick envelope into Natalie's hands.

"Oh God." Kelly muttered as she looked over Natalie's head "She actually knows Charlie exists, this isn't good."

"I think she knows a little more than that he exists." Natalie said dryly but she distracted herself by opening her mail. It was a letter from home – which she decided she'd read later – but inside was included a moving picture of her Great Dane, Treacle. He appeared to be wearing a t-shirt which he was attempting to rip off.

"Look, I've got another picture for my wall." Natalie cried triumphantly waving her newest treasure in front of the other two girls who attempted to snatch it away laughing at her. Natalie's love of her dog was a running joke in the Dormitory. She'd almost covered the space beside her bed with pictures of Treacle, and a few of her other family members as well.

"Are we all ready to go then?" Charlie had come up behind Natalie making her jump. She came down on his foot. "Ow! Watch where you put your feet, Nat!" and for a dizzying moment he held her elbows as she replaced her feet on the hard flagstones.

"Maybe you shouldn't have made me jump like that!" Natalie retorted jokingly

"You like me keeping you on your toes, I know you do." Natalie smiled up at him but inside she sighed. He was more right than he knew.

"We're just waiting for Sam and then we'll go." Said Kelly.

"What was it Estelle was whispering to you?" Natalie asked curious

"Is she coming with us now?" asked Amy

"No, she may join us later though." Charlie said beaming. It seemed as if only Natalie noticed Charlie had avoided her first question.

Sam arrived, finally, giving Kelly's hair a ruffle as he passed, to her displeasure. They then wandered out to the school gates where Filtch was checking all the student's names off a list of those with permission to go to Hogsmeade. They all pulled on the hats, scarves and gloves they'd stored in their bags during breakfast to protect them from the flurries of snow sprinkling their heads. They were no good keeping out the cold the Dementor pervades when they passed the grisly guards. Natalie saw Kelly shiver. Sam who had ambled into the lead began making an attempt at singing a Celestina Warbeck classic which got everyone back in the festive spirit. Soon they were all attempting to reach the notes of the song although they were laughing so hard that they failed even more than they normally would.

They went to Honeydukes and brought a large mixture of sweets; Zonkos Joke shop was so packed they decided to give up, (Sam was swearing he'd bumped into an invisible person which everyone ignored); they looked in the window of Dervish and Bangs as Kelly brought more catapillars as she'd been running low; they were just drifting in the direction of the Shrieking Shack when Amy said

"That place gives me the creeps and we've been there hundreds of times, lets just go to the Three Broomsticks. Please?" Everyone nodded and started to turn back the way they had come. Everyone except Charlie. Natalie noticing first stopped and turned around

"Where are you going?" Natalie demanded.

"Got something I've got to see to." Charlie yelled back, backing away along the path that led to the mountains surrounding Hogsmeade," I won't be long, I'll see you in the Pub. Though I may just head back to Hogwarts. Anyway, see you all soon." and with that Charlie turned around and scuttled away.

Natalie frowned. This wasn't like Charlie at all but Sam had already put his arm round Kelly's and her neck and was leading then back towards the main street, emitting an attempt at a Wyrd Sister's Song which Natalie couldn't help but laugh at.


	3. Searching

Natalie's butterbeer made her feel better, but even so, she couldn't shake off an ominous feeling that something bad was going to happen. It felt like a stone in the pit of her stomach, weighing her down.

Amy, Kelly and Sam weren't acting at all bothered by Charlie's odd behaviour. They were enjoying sharing a glass of Gillywater, which, since Amy was already 17, they had been able to convince Madam Rossmerta to sell them. Kelly kept pulling a disgusted face (as if she were sucking a lemon) and then proceeding to take another sip, all the while incredulous that Professor McGonagall was sipping her own Gillywater daintily at another table. The others were finding Kelly's reactions very amusing; but not Natalie. She sat brooding.

"I'm going to go look for Charlie, it's already starting to get dark, and with all this snow something could have happened to him."

"But what about the Dementors?" Amy asked jerking her head at the poster of Sirius Black laughing beside the pub door with an accompanying warning telling customers to make sure they had done all their shopping before dark due to Dementor patrols. Natalie wasn't sure what was worse, crazy and dangerous Sirius Black or the chilling Dementors. Then she realised she did know what was worse. Something bad happening to Charlie.

"It's almost three now, if I look for half an hour and don't find anything I'll come back. Charlie might already be in the Common Room I suppose."

"Alright if you think you should, but it's too cold for me." Kelly said taking another sip of the Gillywater

"Some friends you are." Natalie said smiling, not really surprised at the other's lack of enthusiasm

"It's only you who wants to go on this fool's errand, the rest of us know how far friendship stretches and wandering out into a blizzard for a love-struck idiot is not in the job description." Sam argued. A funny look crossed Amy's face, the same type she got in Potions when asked to concoct an antidote, and Natalie's pace sped up. She wondered fretfully if Amy had guessed she was in love with Charlie. It was embarrassing enough listening to her own besotted thoughts let alone if someone else knew about them.

"You're exaggerating, it's not a blizzard! It'll only be a thirty minute search; I'll be back in the castle before you know it." Hoping she'd been blasé enough to remove whatever Amy's suspicions were Natalie headed for the door.

As she opened the pub door the buttery yellow candle light lit a patch of the blank snow, in the dying light the snow was turning an unwelcoming grey. While Sam had been over dramatising the snow situation it was definitely falling in heavier flurries than before. Some snow settled on her neck, tickling her with its icy coldness. Natalie pulled her cloak closer around her and trudged through the snow back to the mountain path where she'd seen Charlie last. It was hard going without the others to distract her from the effort of pushing her way through the deep snow. With the dark it was also getting much colder. She desperately hoped she'd find Charlie soon.

Her heart felt like it was trying to escape her chest as she passed the Shrieking Shack which stood perched on the edge of the mountains like a predator ready to pounce. Natalie tried to quicken her pace as she passed the Shack but the snow was still slowing her down, it reminded her sickeningly of nightmares where no matter how fast you try to go you can never reach your destination.

Natalie cursed herself for bothering and she began muttering swearwords at herself, particularly after her socks grew soaked through. Natalie bent down to readjust her winter cloak so that less snow could soak her socks and, as she did so, she noticed a strange footprint in the snow. It was rapidly becoming obscured by the falling snow but she could make out that the print was made up of four stubby lines, like four thumbs, but much larger than human sized thumbs. Now that she'd noticed one track so now saw a large number surrounding her. Her chest began to rise and fall rapidly. Whatever it was had been here not long ago. The tracks were fresh. Even so close to a wizard town the Mountains could be untamed and Natalie had no idea what beast made tracks like that. She was willing to bet whatever it was wasn't friendly.

Natalie turned around to face the way back to Hogsmead. Charlie was probably already in the common room. Natalie had done the loyal thing and gone to look for him, but there was no point heading into the wilderness of the mountains to try and find him. 'Yes', she thought, 'he's probably already sat by the fire in the warm common room' and Natalie couldn't help thinking fondly of the mustard yellow chair, falling apart, dragged up beside the common room fire.

But then Natalie remembered the raptured look on Charlie's face as Estelle whispered in his ear in the entrance hall. Telling him he had to do something for her. To prove himself? Natalie could easily imagine Estelle laughing with her cronies over Charlie's love-struck stupidity. Wandering off into the Mountains on a foolish quest. She would have got a good laugh out of that, thought Natalie savagely. Natalie accepted what she'd known all along.

Charlie would not be in the Common Room already.


	4. Graphorn

Natalie followed the path further. She now couldn't help noticing the odd stubby tracks. She searched back through her lessons in Care of Magical Creatures, trying desperately to recall if she'd ever seen tracks like that before. It was ominous that she'd never seen the like. That probably meant it was a very dangerous beast that had made the tracks, something OWL students weren't allowed to go near. Natalie tried to reassure herself but she couldn't believe herself that she was just thinking the worse. Her dark thoughts led her to begin searching the path for other marks, like Blood.

She was so busy searching the ground that she jumped about a foot when a large dark haired dog ran straight at her. The dog was about the same size as Treacle, her own dog, so extremely large. Natalie beamed at the dog. She loved dogs.

But this dog was acting in one of the strangest ways she'd ever seen. As soon as it had come up to her it had grabbed the sleeve of her cloak and begun trying to drag her back the way she had come.

"What are you doing? You daft dog! I don't keep food up my sleeve!" she laughed at the Dog utterly bemused by its extraordinary behaviour.

Then she heard it.

It was a roar but nothing like the barking roar of a lion. It was more like a trumpeting of an elephant but so loud it made Natalie's stomach reverberate. It echoed round the mountains and from round the bend of the mountain trail there emerged a large boulder. Well it was what Natalie had thought was a boulder. It was the right colour. A kind of greyish purple, like storm clouds, but far from fluffy. It looked as tough as granite. It was round like a boulder with a humped back, and walked on four legs each ending in a foot of four toes, like a cross between the foot of a chicken and a chimpanzee. It had two horns on its head, like a rhino, but sharper, more like metal spikes. Natalie knew it looked angry and with the clarity of fear she realised she had come across such a beast in Care of Magical Creatures. She'd only read about them though. This was a Graphorn. The only other thing she could recall was that they all were very aggressive.

Natalie stood frozen with fear. There was nothing she could do. She would just die here. Charlie was probably dead too. Natalie felt dread claw at her belly. She was going to die.

Natalie felt pain shooting up her arm. The large black dog had bitten the arm above where he had mangled her sleeve. Natalie came to her senses. She raised her wand and cried

"Stupefy!" red light shot from her wand at the Graphorn but it bounced of the Graphorn's tough hide. It shook its head and roared again, it felt like even the mountains were shaking. Then it began to charge at Natalie. Natalie turned round and began to run. But just like in the nightmares she'd previously recalled the snow slowed her pace. She felt herself fall as the snow held her legs back but her body continued. She landed face first in the snow with the dog barking at her hysterically.

There was a rumbling sound and she imagined it was the footfalls of the monstrous Graphorn, large and hard as a mountain, coming to destroy her. She closed her eyes and felt something grab the back of her cloak and drag her to the left, to the mountain side. She felt herself be dragged off the path but she clenched her eyes tight shut. Ready for the pain which would announce her death.

But it didn't come and the rumbling was still continuing. But that made no sense since the Graphorn had clearly already got to her.

Natalie opened her eyes and saw only white. That seemed to make sense. She'd been killed so quickly she hadn't noticed. The rumbling was growing distant after all, but why were her socks still uncomfortably soaked through?

Natalie pushed herself off the floor and onto her knees. She had been face down in a flurry of snow in front of an opening to a cave. Sat at the entrance to the cave was the large black dog and

"Charlie!" Natalie's heart soared as she saw his curly brown hair sticking out of his winter cloak pulled over his head.


	5. Off the Mountain Path

"Natalie?" Charlie croaked his head emerging from beneath the black winter cloak. "Is that really you?"

"Yes you ninny! What's going on?"

"Why should I know? I was walking along the mountain path trying to get...well it doesn't matter, when this monstrous dog pulled me off the path. I landed down here and he dragged me into this cave. I've heard a lot of roaring and then a large amount of snow landed outside. Hey, where are you going?"

Natalie had got up and walked out from under the shelter of the cave mouth, closely followed by the big black dog which frisked around her legs. She could make out the path just above the roof of the cave which explained why neither she nor Charlie were hurt by the fall from the mountain trail. Charlie was right, there was an awful lot more snow on the ground. Natalie was sure she hadn't been knocked out, so the snow couldn't have fallen whilst she had been lying just within the entrance of the cave. She scanned the landscape but everywhere was the white of fresh snow, which glistened in the slight moonlight, making it take on a slight tinge of blue where before it had been grey.

Natalie noticed a slightly discoloured lump a little way away. As she walked over to investigate the dog raised its hackles and growled. She took the hint. Even a few steps closer was enough to tell Natalie that this was the Graphorn, either knocked out or dead. Natalie thought about what Charlie had just told her. Lots of roaring and then lots of snow falling all at once. Natalie remembered the rumbling she'd thought was the Graphorn and realised that could well have actually have been an avalanche, dumping a lot of snow on top of the Graphorn and Charlie's cave.

Natalie inspected the mountain path afresh and realised that not only was it going to be incredibly difficult to get back up to the level of the path, the snow was so thick neither she or Charlie would ever make it back to Hogsmead.

Natalie stepped back into the cave, where she found Charlie huddled in his cloak against the side.

"Are you cold or something?" Natalie asked

"Well yeah! Duh!" Charlie rolled his eyes at her. Natalie pulled out her wand and conjured blue fire which began to crackle immediately and washed warmth over them.

"Duh!" Natalie said smiling.

It dawned on Natalie that it would be a long time before they were found or able to get back to Hogwarts. It looked like she would be spending the night alone in a cave except for a large dog and the person she considered to be the love of her life.


	6. Do you think I'm good looking?

Natalie sat beside Charlie, with her back against the cave wall just like he had. If it weren't for the soggy clothes and the jagged hardness of the cave wall it could almost be considered comfortable, thought Natalie. Charlie wasn't looking at her. He sat staring into the flames so Natalie inched herself closer to him so that their shoulders were touching. He didn't move away. In fact he didn't move at all. He just sat staring into the dancing blue flames.

"Charlie, are you ok?" Natalie asked quietly.

"We could send some flares up." He said quickly getting up and walking out the cave mouth. Natalie watched him go feeling a slight ache in her chest. How long had Charlie been in the cave but not sent up a flare? As soon as she arrived he seemed to suddenly decide to send a flare. Charlie stood, a black silhouette against the blue snowy night, then put up his wand and sent out golden sparks high into the cloudy sky. Natalie noticed his broad shoulders fitted snugly under his cloak and thought longingly of being wrapped between them.

As Charlie came in she gave him a small smile but he didn't smile back. Natalie knew this wasn't how Charlie usually behaved but it still made her feel terrible. Charlie sat down again, slightly apart from Natalie and went back to staring into the flames.

"So..." said Natalie trying to start a conversation but Charlie ignored her.

"Look Charlie what's up?" Charlie shook his head. That was all the reply she got. Natalie started to feel angry, something which happened very rarely but here she was, with soggy socks, swelling bruises from her tumble from the path and Charlie just sat there, sat there and stared into the flames SHE had conjured! "Yeah that's cool. I don't mind." Natalie said icily but with her voice beginning to rise into a hysterical high pitch she continued "I guess you only talk to people who don't care about your feelings. Well sor-ry for caring!" Natalie jumped up and stormed over to the caves edge. She looked out over the white expanses of snow, just like a sheet, and took deep calm steadying breaths. As she sucked in the freezing air her breath in rattled like a Dementors as she repressed sobs. She could feel the breath tickling her sore throat. Her long breath out curled around her like Dragon smoke.

Suddenly Charlie came up behind her and grabbed her shoulders. She jumped, but spun round and thumped him on the shoulder.

"YOU IDIOT!" Natalie yelled at him "Why are you such a stupid idiot?" But Charlie was staring deep into Natalie's eyes with a ferocity that scared her. He was already speaking, quietly and urgently.

"Look at me, Nat" Charlie put his hand under her chin and lifted her head so that their lips were in line. Natalie looked down at their lips, close enough they could almost be kissing and then back up into Charlie's eyes, his eyes weren't smiling they bored into her own. Natalie felt a little scared. "I'm good looking right?"

Natalie raised her eyebrow at him and smiled. Typical Charlie. She'd been scared. She'd been angry. All of it melted away under the onslaught of Charlie's adorableness.

"Charlie, are you being serious?" Charlie dropped his hands and looked down bashfully. Then he smiled a rueful grin and looked at Natalie from under his eyelashes.

"Sorry Nat, it's just that Estelle she doesn't seem to like me at all."

"Charlie." Natalie said quietly and grabbed hold of his hand "Estelle is a Psychopath."

Charlie scrunched his face up like_ he _had just drunk Gillyweed. "Shut up!" but the corners of his lips turned up in a smile.

"Seriously! She's just using you in Ancient Runes. Don't give me that look Charlie, I see you doing her homework as well in the library. If you're not helping her be the centre of attention you get screwed over or dumped! She treats everyone like dirt unless they're helping _her! _She cares about no one but herself. In short a Psychopath. I don't need to know what she told you you had to do today to know that it was bad news. You are worth so much more than her!" It all came out in a rush; Natalie felt elation as all the things she had thought and hated about Estelle were released. She felt as light and free as the clouds without it all dragging her down.

"Thanks Natalie. I was being an idiot wasn't I?" Charlie's gaze fell on his hand which was still grasped in Natalie's. Natalie dropped it quickly, feeling a sense of shock that she had been so bold to take his hand. Then the next second, she cursed herself for letting go.

Charlie smiled and looked at her once again through his lowered lashes

"So...do you think I'm good looking?"


	7. Not Just a Hufflepuff Girl Epilogue

Natalie sat in the mustard yellow armchair beside the common room fire. She sat with her legs clutched to her breast, curled up like an acorn.

The common room was empty but for Natalie. Everyone else had gone to sleep. Natalie hadn't been able to sleep. Every time she had started to fall asleep she'd thought about her conversation with Charlie in the cave and involuntarily began to shiver with embarrassment and would have to roll over several times to get her own thoughts out of her head. It wasn't a very good strategy so she had given up and come down to the large square common room, with its homely fire, hoping that getting out of her now hot and sticky bed would help her feel more like sleeping.

The wall that was the entrance and exit to Hufflepuff common room crunched to the side in the usual manner. Natalie shrank back into the armchair, petrified with nerves that jittered through her veins. She had recognised who had climbed through the portrait hole instantly. It was Charlie, back from the Hospital Wing too, it seemed Madame Pomphrey had cured his frostbite (worse than Natalie's had been) and discharged him so that he could sleep in his own bed. With the archaic reflex of trapped prey Natalie didn't move an inch. Charlie still saw her. He smiled at her. Natalie still didn't move. She didn't even smile back. She did feel a plummeting feeling in a stomach which overruled the feeling of her heart rapidly thumping. Charlie had been the last person she wanted to see. Especially so soon. She'd been planning on skipping breakfast (feigning oversleeping) so she wouldn't have to deal with him at least till Lunch time.

Charlie walked over to her and sat down gingerly in the smaller armchair, he obviously wasn't entirely mended yet from the time in the cave. Natalie didn't feel like she'd ever fully recover from the time in the cave, although Madame Pomphrey had completely mended all of her skin deep wounds.

Natalie plastered a smile across her face and said amiably, though a little too loudly

"So Madame Pomphrey fixed you up then?"

"Yeah, look Nat, about what I said in the Cave."

"It's fine seriously, don't worry about it." Natalie lied.

"I don't think I said what I meant to say."

"Don't worry I understand, it's cool. I am just a Hufflepuff girl."

"Nat. Look you'll never be _just_ anything. When all is said and done you're still my best friend and you know why? Because you make me laugh. Because of your evil sarcasm. Because you're always there when I need you. Because you're completely daft. Because no one else can make squeezing booba tubas into a game. Because we can have conversations without actually having to say anything."

"Thanks Charlie." Natalie managed a small smile at Charlie who was looking at her with concern. "Let's just forget about the whole thing, hey? We could say what was said in the cave stays in the cave." Natalie's voice only croaked a little with the tears she held back (a mixture of disappointment, embarrassment and pleasure at what Charlie was saying)

"Well I did start to worry what I was going to tell Sam, he'd want to know exactly what happened in the cave."

"Why?" Natalie asked distracted by the sudden change in conversation

"Oh he has a crush on you, nothing major."

"Oh no! He hasn't!" Natalie exclaimed shocked. "You shouldn't have told me! Now I'm going to act differently around him!"

"You know it wouldn't have worked out, us being together anyway, we would have driven each other mad instantly. Like that time we got stuck in that Zonko's finger cuff thing." Natalie did remember. They'd had their index fingers stuck together during the Christmas holidays two years previously. It took two days before they had overcome their embarrassment and taken their predicament to Professor Sprout. They had nearly ended their friendship then and there.

"I'll have to tell myself that a few times but yeah I know you're right." Natalie gave another small smile. "Maybe I'll be able to sleep now." She said getting up. Charlie got up too with a groan of effort. They headed to the two adjacent doors on the right of the room which led to their respective dormitories.

"You're house isn't the most defining part of you anyway, Hufflepuff girl." Charlie said as they reached the doors

"Oh yeah what is?" Natalie asked wearily, the late night finally catching up with her. She stifled a yawn.

"Your huge bum!"

Natalie told him where he should go, rather rudely.


End file.
